Minimalist acoustic demos of songs that would later appear... on other demos? And better?
Highlights: Quick
5/10
Quaternary - Mötley Crüe
Back in 1994, we didn't have the internet to download everything we needed, so the only way to get this was some special fan club or something. It was very limited. Anyways, if I remember correctly it was just 4 songs written by each member: Tommy Lee does his best Linkin Park tribute before Linkin Park were even in High School, Mick Mars gets his blues guitar instrumental going, Nikki Sixx thinks he is NIN and Stabbing Westward attending deep therapy sessions, and John Corabi... mistakes himself for one of The Beatles? Dude - you are in Mötley Crüe. Oh wait; there is a 5th song that involves all of the band. It sounds like most of the songs found on Mötley Crüe. Which is good. Also, there is a whole bunch of studio banter between songs. Most of it makes me want to slap these guys. I play life on Expert level, so there are a bunch of bonus tracks here that are completely unnecessary and are actually longer than the original EP.
Back in 1994, we didn't have the internet to download everything we needed, so the only way to get this was some special fan club or something. It was very limited. Anyways, if I remember correctly it was just 4 songs written by each member: Tommy Lee does his best Linkin Park tribute before Linkin Park were even in High School, Mick Mars gets his blues guitar instrumental going, Nikki Sixx thinks he is NIN and Stabbing Westward attending deep therapy sessions, and John Corabi... mistakes himself for one of The Beatles? Dude - you are in Mötley Crüe. Oh wait; there is a 5th song that involves all of the band. It sounds like most of the songs found on Mötley Crüe. Which is good. Also, there is a whole bunch of studio banter between songs. Most of it makes me want to slap these guys. I play life on Expert level, so there are a bunch of bonus tracks here that are completely unnecessary and are actually longer than the original EP.
Highlights: Planet Boom, Babykills, 10000 Miles Away, Livin' in the No [Demo]
6.5/10
Queen - Queen
Q is for Queen. Duh! Their debut album has some highlights, for sure, but it is very heavily reminiscent of Led Zepplin and other blues rock bands at the time that were considered heavy. And - controversial opinion - Mercury's voice on this album was kind of just above average.
Highlights: Keep Yourself Alive, Liar, Great King Rat, Son and Daughter
7.5/10
Queen Forever - Queen
This is a self-made compilation of all the b-sides and non-album songs - including the one song with Michael Jackson they were able to release. I kind of like that 30 years later they are still trickling out the occassional song they have decided to complete and suckering fools like me in to buying their albums again.
Highlights: I Go Crazy, Soul Brother, I Can't Live With You (1997 Queen Rocks Version), There Must Be More to Life Than This (with Michael Jackson)
7/10
Queen I - Queen
Speaking of ways to sucker me in to buying things... the first Queen album remixed with modern sounding drums and autotune on the vocals! As someone that has spent most of his life listening to this album, it sure is jarring to hear it this way. But also interesting? Thanks to the use of alternate takes being added to the mix. I still would never have put Mad the Swine on the album, because that song is seriously lame.
Highlights: Modern Times Rock 'n' Roll, Great King Rat, Son and Daughter
7.5/10
Queen I At The BBC - Queen
Most of the album performed "live" on the BBC - somewhat live. Somewhat. And some of it is played twice, because this covers four different sessions. Kind of a jumble? Still leaves a lot of BBC stuff to be remixed/remastered - hopefully they get to that so I can feel justified not ever purchasing the Live On Air box set.
Highlights: "Son and Daughter" (BBC Session 2, July 1973), "Great King Rat" (BBC Session 3, December 1973), "Keep Yourself Alive" (BBC Session 1, February 1973)
7/10
Queen I: De Lane Lea Demos - Queen
The original demos also get the remix treatment. It makes them sound pretty epic, I have to admit. I dig all the acoustic guitar in Keep Yourself Alive. Jesus is a massive bluesy jam.
Highlights: Liar, The Night Comes Down, Keep Yourself Alive
7/10
Queen I: Instrumentals - Queen
Quite fun to hear everything going on in the new mixes without the vocals getting in the way. Of course, Queen just can not help themselves and there are still a bunch of backing vocals in these. In fact, Great King Rat still features a few main vocal lines for fun. Mad the Swine is actually better as an instrumental! This all might be a good way for me to sit down and learn to play these songs properly? Haha yeah that will never happen. I am no Brian May!
Highlights: Liar, Great King Rat, Keep Yourself Alive, Mad the Swine
7/10
Queen I: Sessions - Queen
And we are still not done! Now we get the album in 'alternate take' form; some fully finished and unused versions, some test sessions with guide vocals, some acoustic jams with Mercury providing mouth guitar solos. Those are the best parts. Actually, my personal highlight was Brian May calling Freddie Mercury by his REAL name! And boy do they like telling someone they were the one that messed up a song. I would have HATED being in this band. I would have been getting called out every 45 seconds...
Highlights: See What a Fool I've Been (De Lane Lea Test Session), Liar (Trident Take 1), Keep Yourself Alive (Trident Take 13)
6/10
Queen II - Queen
Finally moving on to their second album and boy howdy, what a difference 6 months makes! This thing is epic and grand and everything that Queen is known for and I love them for it. Mercury's voice is already improved 200% and while the songs are still lyrically kind of Tolkien-esque and somewhat biblical, it actually works much better with all the guitar orchestras and layers upon layers of vocals.
Highlights: The March of the Black Queen/Funny How Love Is, Father to Son, White Queen (As it Began), Ogre Battle
9/10
Queens are Trumps -切り札はクイーン- - SCANDAL
Things start off like a damned Aerosmith album (a good one), then promptly gets in to Josie and the Pussycats territory, before giving us some disco rock? There is some full on electropop in here as well, but the pop punk is where these girls always shine brightest. Mami's voice has really grown on me and the songs she sings are becoming my favourites.
Highlights: 声, Queens are trumps, Rock'n Roll, Bright
7/10
Queens of Noise - The Runaways
Much more of an attempt at something polished and made for the masses, or something. I always forget Joan Jett sings the title track, because live it was Cherie Currie.
Highlights: Neon Angels on the Road to Ruin, Queens of Noise, Take It or Leave It, I Love Playin' with Fire
7/10
Quizás - Enrique Iglesias
Enrique gets his Spanish crooning going. Big time; the first half is just full on ballads - some of them very slow and possibly romantic, while he kind of picks up the energy a bit in the second half. Sounds like a sports game. Maybe a lucha libre match? La Parka would smash everyone, but likely would not walk out to a song by Enrique.
Highlights: No Apagues La Luz, Para Qué La Vida, Quizás, Marta
7/10
"Albums" listened to so far: 1348
There is no way I see myself finishing the remaining 677 in less than two months, but hey - Q is for Quitting is for Quitters!
FREE PALESTINE
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